Shower drain assembly

ABSTRACT

A shower drain assembly ( 10 ) has a cylindrical portion ( 12 ) that fits into the interior of a drain pipe ( 25 ) to repair leaking drains.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/668,564, filed Apr. 4, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The illustrated embodiment of the present invention relates to shower drain assemblies, and more particularly, to a shower drain assembly for use in a shower base used as a transition piece from a shower to a drain pipe.

BACKGROUND

In the construction industry, shower drain assemblies are used to connect a base of a shower with an outgoing drain pipe. Typically, plastic drains that are installed in a home as original equipment fail. This failure creates a leak into the ceiling located under the shower. Or, in the case of a cement slab home, the leak shows up by water running out from under the shower. Both scenarios create problems which, if not taken care of quickly, will cause damage to the home. Thus, there exists a need for a shower drain assembly that can be used to repair a leaking shower drain assembly that is inexpensive, easy to install, and/or reliable.

SUMMARY

A shower drain assembly (10) has a cylindrical portion (12) that fits into the interior of a drain pipe (25) to facilitate repairing leaking drains.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top diagrammatical view of a perforated drain grid;

FIG. 2 is a top diagrammatical view of an installation tool;

FIG. 3 is a top diagrammatical view of one embodiment of a shower drain assembly in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional diagrammatical view of the shower drain assembly of FIG. 3 prior to being inserted within a drain pipe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, one embodiment of a shower drain assembly (10) formed in accordance with the present invention is shown. The shower drain assembly (10) includes an upright cylindrical portion (12) that extends downward from a flange (14). The upright cylindrical portion (12) and the flange (14) may be made from any rigid or semi-rigid material, a few suitable examples being metal, such as brass, stainless steel, etc., plastic, such as acrylo-nitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyvinylchloride (PVC), ceramics, etc. The cylindrical portion (12) extends downward and contains one or more O-rings (11) that are located in grooves on the exterior of the cylindrical portion (12). The cylindrical portion outer diameter is slightly less than a drain pipe's (25) inner diameter. The shower drain assembly (10) has an upper section (32) that has an outer diameter greater than the cylindrical portion (12). The inside surface of the upper section (32) contains knobs (16) spaced around the inner circumference of the upper section (32). Knobs (16) are utilized with the installation tool (18). This tool (18) is used to rotate the drain assembly (10) and to exert a downward pressure during installation which forces the drain assembly (10) into an existing building drain pipe (25). The tool (18) has ends that abut knobs (16) to allow rotating the drain assembly (10). The existing building plumbing drain pipe (25) is the drain pipe through which the water from the shower will pass to eventually exit the building via the main sewer drainage system.

The O-rings (11) that are located on the outside of the cylindrical portion (12) create a water-tight seal between the cylindrical portion (12) and the inside of the existing plumbing drain pipe (25), eliminating any leakage if the drain were to stop up and create a back up into the shower. The water-tight seal between the shower base (30) and the shower drain assembly (10) is accomplished by utilizing epoxy glue between the underside of flange (14) and the recessed portion of the shower base (30). The epoxy is manufactured specifically to permanently seal the two materials to one another. While the seal between the flange (14) and shower base (30) is rigid owing to the epoxy sealant, the O-rings (11) and the drain pipe (25) provide a seal that can give due to the weight of a person on the shower base (30), thus avoiding breaks or cracks in the drain pipe (25) or shower base (30).

During installation, the shower drain assembly (10) is inserted downward into the interior of the existing drain pipe (25) and is prevented from going through the hole in the shower base (30) by the flange (14). The opening in the shower base (30) is large enough for the upper section (32) to pass through. The epoxy glue (34) is applied to the underside of the flange (14). Pressing the drain assembly (10) against the shower base (30) while applying a downward force as well as a twisting force distributes the epoxy (34) evenly onto both the flange (14) and the shower base (30). By utilizing some type of weight, a constant downward pressure is exerted on the shower drain assembly (10) while the epoxy (34) cures to create the desired bond between the shower base (30) and the shower drain assembly (10). The perforated drain grid (20) is installed on the top of the drain assembly (10), creating a finished appearance to the drain.

In another embodiment, the drain assembly (10) can be offered as an after-market kit for replacement of originally installed drains that leak. The kit, for example, can include the shower drain assembly (10), the O-rings (11), the drain grid (20), the tool (18), and an epoxy adhesive (34).

In a slab home, in order to eliminate a leaking drain using a conventional shower drain assembly, the entire shower stall must be removed or the floor of the shower base must be cut out. Both options result in a very expensive repair.

However, using the illustrated embodiment of the shower drain assembly (10), the leak can be fixed by cutting out the existing shower drain that is causing the leakage using conventional tools. This exposes the existing drain pipe (25) that services the shower. The installer may clean the hole in the shower base (30) through which the drain passes and connects to the drain pipe (25). The installer may also clean the shower drain assembly (10). The installer may then file the rough edge (if any) left on the inside of the existing drain pipe (25) using a conventional half round file. Next, the installer may place a lubricant on the O-rings (11) on the new drain. The O-rings (11) define a slightly larger outer diameter as compared to the inside diameter of the drain pipe (25) to produce a snug fit. The installer may then prepare an adhesive, such as an epoxy, and spread the epoxy on the underside of the drain flange (14). The installer may then set the drain assembly (10) into the drain hole in the shower base (30) using the provided tool (18), a pair of pliers, or a slotted screwdriver (with a square shank) and a crescent wrench, by pushing down and twisting the drain assembly (10) at the same time. The O-rings (11) will slide down inside of the existing drain pipe (25) (sealing off any backflow from going between the walls of the two pipes) and the epoxy glue (34) will adhere the flange (14) to the shower base (30), causing a bond between the two surfaces. By placing a weight overnight on top of the drain assembly (10) to keep a constant pressure on the seal, the installer can simply return the next day, remove the weight, and place the drain grid cover (20) in place to finish the drain installation. Thus, the illustrated embodiment of the shower drain assembly (10) may be used to eliminate a great expense, along with the mess, generated by the removal process required with conventional shower drain assemblies.

During use of the illustrated shower drain assembly (10), the water draining from the shower will travel down the inside of the drain assembly (10) and be deposited down the existing drain pipe (25). The drain assembly (10) seals tight against any backup due to the seal of the O-rings (11). The epoxy (34) will provide years of service against any leakage from inside the shower.

This procedure may be used in a home with a leaking shower drain that is located on the second floor and is leaking onto the ceiling of a lower room. By utilizing the drain assembly (10) described above, damage to the sheet rock ceiling is avoided.

Although the above described shower drain assembly is illustrated and described as being used as a shower drain assembly for a shower, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drain assembly is suitable for use with any drain, such as floor drains, and therefore is not limited to use with showers.

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A drain, comprising: (a) a cylindrical portion that can be inserted into a conduit, wherein the drain has means for sealing between the cylindrical portion and the inside of the conduit; and (b) a flange connected to the cylindrical portion.
 2. The drain of claim 1, wherein the means for sealing comprises one or more O-rings located on the exterior of the cylindrical portion.
 3. The drain of claim 1, further comprising an upper section interposed between the cylindrical portion and the flange, which has a diameter greater than the cylindrical portion.
 4. The drain of claim 3, wherein the upper section comprises knobs disposed on the inner circumference surface of the upper section.
 5. The drain of claim 1, further comprising a perforated drain grid.
 6. The drain of claim 1, wherein the drain is for a shower.
 7. A kit for repairing a leaking drain, comprising: a drain comprising a cylindrical portion that can be inserted into a conduit, wherein the drain has means for sealing between the cylindrical portion and the inside of the conduit; and a flange connected to the cylindrical portion.
 8. The kit of claim 7, wherein the means for sealing comprises one or more O-rings located on the exterior of the cylindrical portion.
 9. The kit of claim 7, further comprising an upper section interposed between the cylindrical portion and the flange, which has a diameter greater than the cylindrical portion.
 10. The kit of claim 9, wherein the upper section comprises knobs disposed on the inner circumference surface of the upper section.
 11. The kit of claim 7, further comprising a perforated drain grid.
 12. The kit of claim 7, wherein the drain is for a shower.
 13. The kit of claim 7, further comprising a tool for rotating the drain.
 14. A method for repairing a leaky drain, comprising: installing a drain so that the connection between the drain and a drain pipe is sealed by an O-ring on the exterior of a cylindrical portion of the drain that is inserted into the drain pipe. 